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Nudging for responsible carsharing: using behavioral economics to change transportation behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Michiko Namazu

    (University of British Columbia)

  • Jiaying Zhao

    (University of British Columbia
    University of British Columbia)

  • Hadi Dowlatabadi

    (University of British Columbia
    University of British Columbia)

Abstract

Principles of behavioral economics have been used to change human behavior effectively in a variety of disciplines. For the field of transportation, however, there have only been a few cases where behavioral economics was applied to change behavior in randomized field experiments. In our current study, we aimed to increase vehicle inspection behavior among carsharing users, as an example to apply behavioral principles to transportation. Specifically, we developed a simple nudge in the form of a reminder card to visually remind users to inspect the vehicle prior to their trip. The effects of the card were tested in a randomized field experiment by observing and interviewing users of a carsharing service. We found that significantly more users inspected the vehicle in the presence of the reminder card, compared to a control group where no card was used. Over 4 weeks, the improvement in inspection behavior was constant. Critically, the inspection increased even in the absence of the reminder card in the last 2 weeks of the experiment in one of the two observation sites, revealing a persistence effect of the reminder card. The current study not only demonstrates the effectiveness of a simple reminder based on the behavioral principle of salience, but also offers the potential to apply behavioral economics to the field of transportation.

Suggested Citation

  • Michiko Namazu & Jiaying Zhao & Hadi Dowlatabadi, 2018. "Nudging for responsible carsharing: using behavioral economics to change transportation behavior," Transportation, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 105-119, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:transp:v:45:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s11116-016-9727-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s11116-016-9727-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Su, Duan & Wang, Yacan & Yang, Nan & Wang, Xianghong, 2020. "Promoting considerate parking behavior in dockless bike-sharing: An experimental study," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 153-165.
    3. Narayanan, Santhanakrishnan & Antoniou, Constantinos, 2023. "Shared mobility services towards Mobility as a Service (MaaS): What, who and when?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    4. Dominik Schreyer & Sascha L. Schmidt & Benno Torgler, 2020. "Using reminders with different reward opportunities to reduce no-show behavior: Empirical evidence from a large-scale field experiment in professional sport," CREMA Working Paper Series 2020-19, Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA).

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